More About the Tramway Engines
by The Blue Engine
Summary: Anopha Quarry is left in financial difficulties and may be forced to close, endangering Toby, Mavis and Flora's future. They try their best to keep the quarry afloat, but as the problems only get worse, the three begin to fear for the worse...
1. Introduction

**More About the Tramway Engines**

Dear Readers,

I was astonished to hear of some financial woes that troubled the Ffarqhuar Tramway and Anopha Quarry recently, and I was disappointed to hear that the Toby, Mavis and new tram Flora may suffer as a result of it. I was on my way to pay them a visit when I received a heritage magazine in the post. I took one look at the cover and began to laugh, unable to help myself.

I went to the Ffarqhuar Branch Line a few hours later anyway, and brought the magazine with me. Thomas and Percy found it most amusing, but Toby, as always, had a more sophisticated view to it.

"Do you mind explaining how this came about?" I asked politely.

"I would do so gladly," Toby replied with utmost courtesy. And these are the stories Toby told me of the issues and solutions to the quarry's problems, and how his magazine debut came about,

The Author


	2. Mavis Takes a Brake

**Mavis Takes a Brake**

"We have a problem."

"That sounds reassuring."

Toby half smiled as he opened a sleepy eye, taking some satisfaction from the grumpy look Mavis shot back at him. The hot summer's sun was burning overhead, and the old tram had been looking forward to a rest. Yet he had only managed to shut his eyes for ten minutes before Mavis came rolling up alongside the shed, a long line of stone trucks clanging behind, and Toby felt like he deserved getting a comeback in.

"If you have something to say Mavis, please get on with it," Toby continued sleepily. "I am an old engine and I want my sleep before I have to haul more trucks down to the harbour and come back again."

"That's the problem!" Mavis said. "Well, part of it. You being old, that is." Toby opened both eyes know and gave the diesel a grumpy look, which Mavis only seemed to enjoy. The relationship between the two had improved as the years went on, yet Mavis still enjoyed winding her up, and Toby enjoyed the playful relationship. Yet now he was curious, and Mavis smiled as she noticed. "Glad to see your finally paying attention. Anyway, I was waiting by the offices while my driver went to make a call, and the quarry manager had his window open. He was talking to someone on the phone and said that the quarry is running out of money and is in danger of closing down!"

"What?" Toby scoffed. "That cannot be true Mavis. Anopha Quarry is supplying half of the stone for all of these new lines and extensions, they must be making money. You're spending too much time in the sun, it's melted your engine."

"I heard exactly what he was saying, thank you very much!" The feisty diesel snapped back. "Apparently we are running out of money _because_ of the work. The quarry hasn't been fully paid yet for all of the work and won't be until it is all done, and they have to try and pay for all the workers trying to get stone out. And he said something about how the new equipment is expensive, and they are trying to find ways to cut back!" Toby pondered this over, but it was clear on his face that he wasn't convinced.

"It sounds like a problem, but I don't think it is anything for us to worry about Mavis," the tram replied after a few moments. "I am sure if there were any major financial difficulties we would have heard more about it."

"But Toby –," Mavis began, but the tram rang his bell, unintentionally cutting her off.

"I suppose I have to take these trucks then," Toby said with a slight sigh. "I guess I will see you later Mavis when I come to collect the workers." Mavis looked shocked, and she went to cut in but Toby rang his bell on purpose this time. "I am not worried Mavis, and neither should you," and with those words, the tram hoped it would be the end of the subject, and he watched as Mavis grumpily trundled away.

* * *

Despite what Toby said, Mavis did worry.

As she rolled back to Anopha Quarry along the open tramway that led to it, the diesel thought about what she had heard. Mavis had been working hard over the past few weeks as more stone was needed for the many construction projects happening around the island, and a number of new machines designed to dig away large amounts of rock quickly and smoothly had been popping up: huge new machines that towered over Mavis, making noise that made her entire body shake and sending dust and rocks shooting up into the air.

And every day Mavis swore she was taking double the number of trains that she use to, which wasn't pleasant in the scorching summer weather, bringing more loads to Toby, Flora and the other Ffarqhuar engines that were now expected to help cart the stone around. There were so many jobs happening that Mavis could see the entire quarry drying up, leaving no more stone for anyone to take. Yet if there wasn't any money coming in from these projects, with the full amount not being paid until completion…

_Toby doesn't have as much to lose as I do,_ Mavis thought sadly, watching as happy children played a game of football nearby. _The quarry owns me, so if they go under, what place do I have? Thomas' branch line is already crowded enough... but wait, most of Toby's work involves serving the quarry, same with Flora. ARE they going to be needed if the quarry has to close as well? _

Mavis was getting ahead of herself, not hearing anything that would suggest the quarry or the tramway would have to close, but it was easy to worry in these situations. She couldn't bare the idea of being sent away from her home, and wondered if there was anything that could be done to help.

"You alright there Mavis?" A worker called from the platform as the diesel moved back into the quarry. "You look awfully depressed, is something wrong? There hasn't been a crash, has there?"

"No, no crash," Mavis replied sadly, not even looking at the worker. She continued sadly into the quarry and carried out her shunting work in silence, lost in thoughts of how to save the quarry, while her driver, the workers and the manager all wondered what could have possibly upset the diesel.

* * *

The next day was one of the hottest days of the summer. Mavis felt terrible as she took a long train of stone towards Ffarqhuar. She could feel the sun high above her, the air itself feeling hot and unbearable, the metal tracks even hot to touch. It wasn't pleasant weather to think in, and Mavis was too tired to think. She had been awake half the night worrying about her future and the future of the quarry and tramway, and now found it a struggle to even get all her wheels moving. The humid weather was making her feel sleepy, and Mavis was tempted to ask her driver if she could sleep once they got to Ffarqhuar.

However, as Mavis pulled into the yard, she found it would be unlikely she would get any rest here. The station was crowded with people, a mixture of people formally dressed for work and casual tourists here on holiday, everyone one of them sounding as if they were trying to shout at someone across the yard.

"What's going on here?" Mavis asked as she slowed down, the trucks giggling shrilly behind her as they fed off the noise. She looked around and saw no one was there, and that the passengers were now staring eagerly towards her as if there was space in her trucks for them.

"I am not sure, but I will go and find out," her driver said, and quickly left her cab and rushed towards the station. Mavis watched as he pushed his way through the overflowing station, the passengers bombarding him with questions he had no answer too. Unfortunately for her though, the sun shone directly into her eye line, and Mavis glanced away squinting, trying to find something else to view. A horn suddenly sounded, and she looked around as Daisy pulled into the yard.

"Hello Daisy," Mavis called. "Why is it so busy today, and where is everyone?" Daisy looked over as she pulled into the station, and Mavis saw the usually beautiful rail car seemed very bothered, her cheeks red and a general tired and grumpy look in her eyes.

"There's been an accident," Daisy grumbled, jolting as passengers stampeded onboard. "A lorry tipped over at the rail crossing and is blocking two lines. The other engines have all been caught up either waiting for it to clear or helping to clear it. I was on the other side, so guess who gets to shepherd passengers down to the buses?" Mavis was shocked to hear it, but than glanced back to the waiting line of trucks behind her.

"What about Toby? He is meant to be taking these trucks to Knapford for BoCo to collect," Mavis said, but Daisy gave her a look that showed she really didn't care about Mavis and her trucks. The shunting diesel was just starting to worry when her driver appeared, finding it easier to get back with the crowd now climbing aboard Daisy.

"Daisy told me about the accident," Mavis said to save him time.

"Ah, very good," the driver replied, wiping sweat from his brow. "Well, due to this mess, we are going to have to take the trucks down ourselves. Toby has to bring Henrietta and Victoria back, and the other engines are all delayed as well." Mavis stared at her driver in shock as if it was something scandalous he was suggesting.

"But I can't!" The diesel gasped. "I haven't taken the trucks all the way down for years! I think the last time was when Thomas went to York!" Her driver chortled as he climbed back aboard, tapping her heartily on the side as he did so.

"At least that means you've done it before," he laughed. "Come now Mavis, it won't be any worse than taking them along the tramway, just a bit longer! We can manage it, we'll just take things nice and slowly." Mavis wanted to protest, not sure if she would be able to take them. Trucks could be troublesome and weary in heat like this, and if they went out of control she might not be able to manage them.

But than Mavis thought of the quarry itself. They needed the money to keep afloat, and they couldn't get money if the stone didn't make it to its destination. Mavis was uncertain about being the one to take it, but she knew she had to for the good of Anopha.

"Alright then, let's get going!" Mavis said brightly, putting on an encouraging face for her own sake, hoping it would push the worry out of her mind. As she started off out the yard, Mavis and her driver were unaware of the cheeky smiles creeping on the truck's faces, the same idea coming to all of them.

* * *

Despite her initial worries, Mavis' mind began to ease as she trundled down the branch line. It had been a long time since she had gotten to properly enjoy the beautiful scenery the line had to offer, and she began to calm down as she took the sights in. The farms and cottages she passed all looked like scenes from a postcard, with wide expanses of green grass spreading out as far as Mavis could see, cows, sheep and horses dotted all around. Rushing rivers and towering forests were uncommon around commons, and Mavis felt like she was in a completely different part of the island.

When moving down the tramway, Mavis had to follow a strict speed policy due to the open tracks and the people and cars that came in close contact with her. However, there was a little chance of that happening on the open stretches of track, and Mavis was able to go a touch faster. It felt wonderfully to merrily roll down the line, a slight breeze blowing coolly against her, and Mavis forgot all about the possible financial worries and her concerns about the trucks, simply enjoying the ride.

However, she also forgot about the trucks. They clattered quietly along behind her, not trying anything as they thought each about their plans. But when they had well passed Hackenbeck and neared Elsbridge, the trucks began to twitter to each other.

"She isn't paying us much attention," one whispered.

"We should bump her forwards, throw her off balance, she won't know what to do!" Another hissed before laughing shrilly. The others began to laugh as well, Mavis not being them any attention.

"Let's bump her now!" A third one cried. "Ready? Three… two… one… GO!" And with that cry, the trucks surged forwards, slamming into each other and forcing themselves upon Mavis.

"OOF!" She cried as the trucks banged against her buffers. "Cut that out you lot!" Mavis snapped, her happiness evaporating as quickly as it had started. However, the trucks merely burst into laughter, and they bumped into her once more. Mavis jerked forwards this time, and suddenly found herself moving faster than expected.

_I knew this would happen_, Mavis cursed, and she tried to push back against the trucks and put them back under her control. However, the weight of the trucks and the loads they carried were too much, and Mavis found herself surging forwards, the trucks shrill laughter filling her ears.

"I can't stop them!" Mavis cried desperately, instantly wishing she had paid more attention and taken more care.

"I am trying to stop them, but we need to get them back under control first!" The driver shouted. Fear shot throughout Mavis as she roared down the tracks: she was close to becoming a runaway with the trucks taking control, no signs of stopping as they merely gained speed rather than decreased. And Mavis had no idea how to stop them or get back that control, horrible images of crashes and explosions entering her mind.

And then she remembered the lorry accident.

* * *

The accident had occurred right at Elsbridge Station. Two lorries delivering different supplies had tried to get past each other, but the already busy car park had forced one to reverse. The driver had gone too far and the lorry burst onto the tracks, tipping over when the driver tried to move forwards. It now covered an entire stretch of track, its loads spilling over a second, leaving just one line clear.

The station was a hive of activity as officials tried to sort the mess out. A tow truck had come to try and help, but the stationmaster had called for Harvey or Kelly to come and help instead. Workers and several kind passengers helped to clear away broken crates and fruit from on the tracks, while an ambulance came to look over the driver.

But this didn't help with the backlog of people. Just like at Ffarqhuar, the station was crowded with a mix of people trying to get to work and tourists looking to enjoy the sights, all of them stuck on the platforms watching the scenes. Toby was waiting in a siding, Henrietta and Victoria already full of passengers she was meant to be dropping off, while Rosie sat waiting by the lorry. The other engines were stuck at the other stations waiting for the lines to be cleared, the only clear track being kept clear at the moment.

"I hope someone comes to clear this up soon," Rosie said with a sigh, staring towards the car park as if help would come faster this way. Toby merely nodded his body, sighing himself as he felt the scorching summer sun burn down upon him. It was beautiful weather, but awful to be trapped underneath the sun with no chance of moving. Toby wanted to get a move on as well, but there was no sign of anyone coming to help.

"Can you hear that?" Victoria suddenly said from behind.

"Hear what, the grumpy passengers?" Henrietta snapped back, the heat bothering her more than Toby.

"No! It sounds like… a horn," Victoria pondered, and Toby began to listen carefully. She couldn't hear anything at first, but then in the distance, a far away honking began to sound out. The passengers all looked around as they heard it as well, joyful looks appearing on their faces as they hoped for a tow truck to clear away the mess. But Toby knew better, and he began to worry.

"That isn't a tow truck," the tram said, "its Mavis! But what is Mavis doing this far down the line?" And he looked into the distance, the black diesel starting to appear in his eyesight… and she quickly began to draw closer. "She is moving much too quickly, something isn't right," Toby said in concern, and he exchanged worried looks with Rosie.

And they had a right to fear.

Mavis could see the station getting closer and closer with each second that passed, and she gasped as the scene began to play out around her: the crowded platforms, the lorry lying on its side, people and engines on the tracks. And here she was, speeding towards the scene like a rocket, her heavy, fully loaded trucks laughing and banging behind her.

"You need to try and stop now, Mavis," her driver cried, eyeing the scene with the same fear she had. "Even if we get onto the spare line, there is still a chance something could go wrong." Mavis nodded her body weakly, but she still had no idea what to do. The trucks had all of the power at the moment, still banging against her buffers and pushing her further forwards. She was trying to push back, but the diesel was getting worried, and the trucks seemed to know.

"PUSH HER OFF THE TRACKS!" One shouted.

"SLAM HER INTO THE STATION!" Another cried, and they all giggled and cheered at this, and Mavis only shivered with fear. She could see the waiting passengers were starting to panic, and Rosie was beginning to reverse out of harm's way.

_I can't stop them, _Mavis thought, wishing more than ever she had refused to take the train. _This is going to end in disaster! Think of what it will do to the quarry and their reputation, and all the harm it will cause! The quarry might never get another job! _But as this thought crossed Mavis' mind, the financial woes of the quarry came back to her. If this train crashed and all this stone was lost, than the quarry would be worse off than it already was. Mavis could not let this happen, and knew more than ever that she had to stop the train.

"You lot like bumping?" Mavis growled. "How do you like it when someone bumps you?" And using all the strength she could muster, Mavis angrily bumped the trucks backwards. They all gasped and began twittering to each other in shock, and a smile crossed Mavis' face. Furiously, she slammed back against them three more times, and many of the trucks were too shocked to react.

"Good girl Mavis," her driver cried, sounding a little frantic as the station came nearer. "Now just push back against them with all you can and I will try and apply the brakes!" Mavis nodded, and she put all her weight into trying to push the trucks backwards whilst at the same time still moving forwards. It was a difficult task, but they were moving along flat land and the trucks were already beginning to let off. Mavis saw that Toby and Rosie both looked shocked, and only hoped she could stop in time.

As they began to enter the station area, Mavis' driver applied the brakes. Mavis felt her wheels lock, but she continued to move, the weight of the trucks still pushing her forwards. Passengers screamed and leapt away from the sides of the platform as Mavis skidded past, sparks shooting from her wheels, and the men that had been clearing the track jumped out of the path. Mavis was begin to feel painful, the weight of the trucks back on her buffers, and she wondered if she would ever come to a stop.

She raced past Rosie and Toby, her wheels making a terrible noise, and travelled another ten metres before finally coming to a sudden stop, her trucks banging furiously against her. Mavis was stunned to have finally stopped, and began to feel nervous, feeling as if something bad had happened.

"Well Mavis," her driver called, his voice sounding shaky, "how was that experience for you?" Mavis refused to reply, simply staring straight ahead and trying to forget about the trucks behind. All she knew was that it would be a long time before she ever took the trucks down this far again.

* * *

Not long after Mavis' dramatic stop, Kelly arrived and lifted the lorry off the tracks. Rosie went ahead, taking Toby's coaches with her while the tram helped to push Mavis and the stone trucks down to Ffarqhuar. The other engines started to come past after this, all looking confused as to why Mavis was there, and the diesel tried her best to pretend nothing was wrong.

However, when Knapford came into view, it wasn't just BoCo waiting at the station.

"Hello there Mavis," the Fat Controller boomed cheerily, though it didn't stop a grim look covering Mavis' face, "I hear you had a bit of bother today with some trucks." Mavis nodded as the train came to a stop, half expecting to earn a telling off for the day's adventures. However, the Fat Controller continued to smile. "Don't look so worried there Mavis! You may have lost control of the trucks, but you managed to stop them at the very end. I am going to talk to your manager and see that you get more experience taking trucks down the line when you get back from the works."

"Oh, thank you sir," Mavis said with a smile, "but why am I going to the works?"

"They are just going to check your brakes were not damaged today," the Fat Controller replied calmly. "Toby will manage the trucks in your absence, and Flora can handle the taking the workmen to and from the quarry."

"Even if my brakes are fine, I think I will enjoy having a little break," Mavis said, and the Fat Controller let out a booming laugh. The diesel felt more relaxed as she was shunted across the track by Toby, BoCo smiling at her as he waited to be coupled up. She thought she had done well by stopping the train in the end, and was relieved that the Fat Controller wasn't going to tell her off. Getting more experience with the trucks would definitely improve things, and thought it made her nervous, Mavis was ready to do whatever it took to work things out.

"Mind the trucks for me Toby!" Mavis called once she was coupled to BoCo, ready to be whisked away to the Works. "We don't want those money problems to get any worse now, do we?" She felt free to chuckle about it, and Toby laughed as well, and Mavis would have gone off happy if it hadn't been for one look as they slid past the station: the Fat Controller glanced back to one of his assistants, a grim look plastered across his face. Mavis gasped, and fell silent. Up until now, the financial problems had been unconfirmed and had only been digging away at her thoughts as she wondered if they were true or not. But if the Fat Controller took her words to have more meaning than a simple remark, than Anopha Quarry might be in more trouble than Mavis thought.


	3. Flora and the Farmer

**Flora and the Farmer**

No one was sure just how long Mavis would be at the works, but Toby and Flora were left to cover all the work at and around Anopha Quarry until she returned. Toby was filling in Mavis' job, shunting the trucks together ready to be taken down to Knapford Harbour or Station. The main difference was that he would take the trucks the whole way down rather than stopping to switch over for another engine at Ffarqhuar. The old tram got easily tired and had to stop for water constantly due to his small tanks, but Toby liked being able to keep busy rather than being shunted away in the shed to rot.

Flora, on the other hand, was filling in Toby's role. There were more workmen than ever before due to the amount of work being done, and Flora had to work hard in order to get all the workers to the quarry. Henrietta and Victoria were being used to help with the influx of tourists for the summer season, so Flora was using her own coach, a double decker green one that had come with her from her old railway called Peach. She was usually kept in a shed and brought out for special tourist trips, but the Fat Controller had allowed Flora to take her old coach as a special treat while she did the workmen run.

Flora was nervous about doing this special job, and was glad to have her coach with her. The yellow tram was the newest engine on Thomas' Branch Line, being brought in to help with extra passenger trains during busy seasons and when other engines were away, as Thomas was always helping out on other lines, and to be used as a spare engine on the tramway if need be. Flora loved the friendly engines and the beautiful line and thought this was one of the best places she could possibly work at, yet was starting to worry.

Toby had shared Mavis' worries about possible financial troubles for the quarry, and though the wise old tram thought the claims were foolish, Flora was now starting to worry. If the quarry closed, and the tramway as a result, how much longer would she be kept around? Flora knew that she had to prove her worth while Mavis was away, and only hoped that the rumours weren't true.

* * *

"It is such a lovely little line up here," Peach said on the third morning after Mavis had left. The towering coach was crowded with workmen, and Flora was trundling slowly and carefully along the open section of the tramway. The sun was glaring down upon them, and Flora couldn't wait until she was able to get back under shade.

"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Flora said in agreement. She glanced around at the nice open space, with fields of grass on either side, which was starting to look more yellow than green at the moment, and neatly kept farms and small cottages fitting right in in the distance. Even the light brown of the mountains rising up before them looked quite picturesque.

"This is a very beautiful area for a quarry," Flora said as they began to curve around, bumping over the road and starting to gather more speed to make it up the upcoming incline. "It would be a shame to see this area go to waste if it does close down."

"What do you mean?" Peach gasped from behind.

"I thought I had told you," Flora replied in her own shock. "Well, Toby said that Mavis claims she overheard the manager talking about how the quarry is suffering financially because they aren't going to receive full payment for all the stone they are shipping out until it is all out, but they can't afford the new equipment and all the workers, so the quarry may end up closing." Peach gasped again, and Flora began to feel down again. However, there was a laugh from inside her, and her driver poked his head out of the side of her cab.

"Come now Flora, don't be so silly!" He said with a chuckle. "You shouldn't listen to rumours like that! I haven't heard anything about any financial problems, and I think it is likely that they would let us know about something like this. Mavis must have misheard, that is all!"

"Alright," Flora replied, but she didn't believe her driver just yet: there was no reason why Mavis would have spread lies like this, and she wouldn't have misheard it either, leaving the only option being that the quarry was in trouble. Flora didn't want to believe it, but until they were told otherwise, what else was there?

* * *

A short time later, Flora came rolling into the station. The last leg of the journey was enclosed by the mountains and the hills that led towards the Anopha Quarry, leaving the line very quiet and peaceful, the only noise being the twittering of birds in the nearby trees or the rush of water from the small rivers that Flora and Peach trundled across.

However, that was shattered as soon as they entered the quarry.

A wave of noise, heat and dust struck Flora as she came to a stop, the same as every morning. It was almost unbearable listening to the chattering, shouting trucks, with noise coming from all across the quarry. There were men who had arrived earlier shouting as well, and machines designed to dig away stone were already starting up, their metallic groans and whines sounding across the yard.

"This place is quite unbearable," Peach complained as the workers clambered off her and onto the waiting platform. Flora could barely hear her over the chattering trucks, many of them empty and staring towards her with twisted, almost hungry eyes. She had never liked trucks, and was glad that she was only a passenger tram unlike Toby, meaning that coaches and passengers were her only worries, and it wasn't like coaches to bump you forwards and nearly cause an accident like poor Mavis.

"Can you see Toby anywhere?" Flora asked, always liking to say 'Hello' to her fellow tram whenever she came by. But her question was answered by the sudden banging of trucks alongside rather than Peach, and Flora looked around as a row of empty trucks came rolling forwards, each of them muttering angrily under their breath.

"Here I am," a tired voice wheezed, and Flora stifled a gasp. It was early in the morning, but Toby looked like he had been working all day. Dust covered every inch of his body, almost changing his shade of brown, and the old tram was red in the face with bags under his eyes.

"My goodness Toby, you look dreadful, are you alright?" Flora asked, and was surprised when Toby smirked over at her.

"I am tired, my wheels are aching and every time I bump a truck it feels like I might fall apart," the tram said, "but I am glad to have a break from all those screaming summer passengers clogging up the stations. Trust me Flora, one day when you get old and rusty like me, you'll look forward to the days where you get a change of pace, otherwise you'll be carted off to the scrap yard feeling even grimmer." Flora was rather taken aback by this statement, especially considering the possible fate of the quarry and the trams themselves, but was glad to see Toby was smiling even though he was clearly busy.

"I am glad to hear it," Flora laughed as Toby buffered up the trucks he had just bumped. "I guess we should leave you to enjoy being busy then!"

"Not quite," Toby said, coming to another halt. "While we are on the subject of having a change in work, I need a favour." Flora was surprised by this, wondering what it could be, but than her eyes turned towards the rows of trucks that were spread throughout the quarry.

"You want me to help you shunt?" Flora gasped in horror.

"No, not shunt," Toby replied, still smirking. "I need to arrange several trains to go out today, so would you mind bringing one small train down to Ffarqhuar? I think Percy is going to take it down to the Harbour after he has delivered some supplies to the extension site, but obviously he can't come along the tramway, so you'll have to do it." Flora was stunned: she had never taken trucks before in her life, only ever helping with mild shunting work when things were busy. She eyed the nearest row of loaded trucks, thinking about Mavis and her inexperienced run that had ended in a trip to the works.

"The trucks are not that much trouble on this part of the track," Toby said, smiling reassuringly at her concerned expression. "If I was you, I'd be more worried about Mr Willis."

"Mr Who?" Flora asked, distracted from her truck fears.

"Mr Willis is a local farmer that makes me look like some nippy little bullet train fresh off the production line," Toby explained. "He runs a cattle farm nearby but has a large greenhouse as well that he and his wife grow all sorts of things in. Once a week he brings his supplies down to Ffarqhuar to be taken by a nephew to market. I've only met him a few times, but Mavis is always complaining about how he goes on long rants whenever they meet at the level crossing telling her to slow down, even when she is at a snail's pace."

"Thanks for the warning, but I think trucks would be more fearsome than an old man," Flora replied, trying to sound sweet but coming across ruder than she thought. Toby gave her a severe look, the joking smirk he had worn a few moments earlier fading away.

"Flora, you are aware that if I can't take it and Mavis can't take it, that leaves you as the only engine that can," he explained in a cold tone that made Flora instantly feel guilty. As Toby spoke, the yellow tram took his words in and suddenly connected the dots: if she didn't take the train, than Flora would only cause more trouble for the already endangered quarry. Toby was right: there were only three engines that could save this line, and being one of them, it was her job to play her role.

"I guess I'd better take some trucks then," Flora said with a forced smile, staring nervously towards the multiple trucks, and wondering if the quarry was really worth leaving her in charge of trucks…

* * *

Ten minutes later, Flora was heading back. She and Peach had turned around using a loop at the quarry, and now a line of around twenty trucks were rattling around behind. Flora felt more reassured having Peach with her and knowing the trucks were further behind, and this was able to calm her down.

"Are you sure you can handle these trucks?" Peach had asked quietly as Flora had reversed down to the train. "I just know you haven't taken any before, and I wouldn't want this to end badly for you."

"I am sure I will be fine," Flora had replied, trying not to sound nervous as she said it. Toby had gone back to smiling after she had agreed to take the train, and told her to take things slowly and be careful not to give the trucks any reason to get angry with her, and it would be over before she knew it.

Yet Flora still felt nervous as she reached the top of the small hill before the level crossing. The trucks had behaved well for the first part of the journey, much to Flora's surprise, and she only hoped they stayed this way. The tram had been moving very carefully with the trucks, going at quite a slow and pleasant pace, which had made it rather difficult to climb the hill with such a heavy train, but Flora wasn't taking any chances. She wanted this journey to go perfectly for both herself and the quarry, and slow and steady seemed to be the right way.

"Alright Flora, we need to go slowly down this hill," her driver warned as they reached the top, the Ffarqhuar Yards and the River Els appearing in the distance. "The trucks can't get any advantage here or we could end up speeding towards the level crossing."

"I know, I know," Flora whispered back, staring down at the slope ahead and wondering if it had always seemed this steep. Her driver and fireman adjusted the right levers, and the guard in the brake van applied his brakes to ensure the train didn't go out of control. Flora took a deep puff and shut her eyes as her wheels tilted down, hoping it all went well…

She rolled down the slope, the weight of the trucks still pressing her forwards, and Flora worried that they were going too fast, the hilly terrain that had passed before flashing before her eyes. However, as the ground began to level out, Flora came to a sudden stop, and she opened her eyes suddenly.

"We're still on the rails," she gasped, staring down at the curving metal below her.

"Funny that," her fireman laughed as they started forwards once more. "We braked at the bottom of the hill to make sure the train didn't push us off the tracks." Flora nodded along as the train curved, a clear path ahead for the rest of the journey. It suddenly dawned on her that the worst part was over, and now they were running smoothly, the trucks still behaving.

_This isn't so bad_, Flora thought to herself, a smile crossing her face. _I should take more trucks, this really isn't that difficult! They are at least behaving, that's always a good sign! _For one of the first times in days, Flora was beginning to feel reassured, and the sun shining over the tracks only seemed to brighten her mood and the path ahead.

"This must be Mr Willis," Peach suddenly whispered. Flora had become so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't been paying attention to the road properly and suddenly noticed a chugging sound coming from her left.

Toby's description comparing his age to the farmer's had been too kind: Mr Willis looked a lot like a plastic model that had been left out in the sun too long. The farmer was bald except for a few bits of wispy white hair around liver spots, his skin a shade somewhere between a tanned brown and the yellow of sun struck paper. He had odd features, with beady eyes almost obscured by a large sunburnt nose.

Flora thought it was an odd site seeing this wizened old man huddled over an equally worn down tractor, only small flecks of blue paint left over an otherwise rusted, dirt and grime encrusted exterior, a trailer bouncing along behind with the crates of vegetables securely tied down. This wasn't the sort of man Flora would usually talk to, but it seemed appropriate to put on a happy face.

"Morning there sir," Flora called cheerfully as she came to another stop several metres from the crossing. Mr Willis turned to look at her but didn't stop, his small body bouncing along with his tractor. He looked her up and down, and Flora wondered if her yellow paint and red cow catchers would seem too offensive for the old man.

"You stop earlier than that diesel," the farmer grunted, and he chugged away on his tractor. Flora was more surprised at this than she was about surviving the hill: Toby had made him sound cruel and twisted, but none of that had come across.

_Everything is looking perfect_, Flora told herself happily as they set off once more, and she began to wonder if her driver had been right about the quarry: it seemed too silly that it could possibly be endangered when everything else was going so well.

* * *

Flora arrived at Ffarqhuar a few minutes later, taking note that a particular rusted tractor wasn't in sight, and wore a smile on her face as she pulled smoothly and perfectly into the yard.

"You look happy," Percy chimed as Flora came to a stop at the station, many of the tourists there thinking the double decker coach was here for them. Flora glanced over at Percy as he shunted his trucks away nearby, giving him her brightest smile that made the green engine blush.

"Why shouldn't I be happy?" Flora called out merrily. "Peach and I have had a perfect day so far: we were able to manage the trucks, we got to the quarry on time, and Mr Willis was not as bad as Mavis has painted him, so everything is looking up!"

"At least you're smiling," Percy laughed. "Thomas, Rosie and Daisy all looked worn out with all these passengers, and I'm stuck by myself taking supplies to our new extension! Imagine how much more work we'll get when we have to head to Ulfstead!"

"I'm not bothered," Flora replied with a smile. After managing the stone trucks, who were now sitting surprisingly quietly behind her, Flora was thinking that she could tackle some more freight work. Toby had mentioned changing things up, and she thought swapping yelling tourists for a nice long run to some new scenery was just what she needed.

"You seem almost a different engine," Peach said a few moments later when Flora shared this thought, a worker uncoupling the coach from the trucks. "I am starting to get afraid you'll have them loading me up with new tracks and piles of stones next!"

"Don't worry Peach," Flora laughed as they began to move forwards, ready to get some water before taking a passenger train, "I will never let them harm you. I am just going to try it out and see if I can handle trucks. Everything seems to have go so smoothly today, so why not look at something –"

"LOOK OUT!" Someone from the station cried. Flora had been glancing back to Peach but her eyes shot forwards as her brakes were slammed hard on, something rusted moving onto the tracks. Flora shut her eyes as she slammed into Mr Willis' tractor, and could only listened to the sickening creak and following echoing thud as the entire thing fell over.

"Damnit," Mr Willis yelled croakily. "Looks like none of you bloody trams know how to stop!"

* * *

It was unfortunate that the Fat Controller had been in the area and been told of the accident, as know the suited man was looming over Flora on the Ffarqhuar platform, watching as Mr Willis' nephew and some farming friends tilted the tractor back onto its wheels, a tow truck waiting to take it away.

"I am so sorry sir!" Flora said for the umpteenth time, though she still was unable to look at the controller in shame. "My day had just been going so well, and I wasn't paying attention and then it… it… it just appeared!"

"It is alright Flora, nothing to worry about," the Fat Controller said with a slight chuckle. "It seems Mr Willis didn't apply his brakes properly, so all the complaints the stationmaster and quarry manager have received about Mavis not braking in time are all a bit hypocritical now, wouldn't you agree?" Flora finally looked up at her owner, smiling slightly in the knowledge she wasn't going to be told off. "He will undoubtedly complain, but he should be happy that he has an excuse to get a better tractor. And I believe we should just leave it at this, eh Flora?"

"Yes sir," Flora said quickly. She had not been damaged by hitting the tractor as she had been going slowly, yet the trucks had been twittering about the incident as Percy whisked them away, and the tram could only imagine how long it would take for the story to spread.

"I hear you did well today," the Fat Controller continued. "You've never taken trucks before, have you? Well, most engines do something wrong on their first go, but you managed to do things superbly I hear, until the very end that is. You should focus on that Flora instead of some silly tractor: the quarry is going to need engines like you in the coming weeks, so let's look at the positives rather than the negatives!"

"Yes sir," Flora replied, though she was more uncertain this time. Something had been nagging away at her throughout this entire conversation, and now that the controller had hinted towards it, it was time to say it before her courage faltered. "Sir, I have heard some rumours about the quarry being in some financial difficulties, and I was just wondering if it was true or not." She looked up at him hopefully, wishing he would bring good news but knowing it wouldn't come. The Fat Controller sighed and exchanged looks with his assistant before turning back towards her, his smile disappearing.

"I am not sure what you have heard or who told you," he said, adjusting his hat and coat as if readying himself to leave, "but I am sorry to say that yes, the rumours are true. If the quarry cannot afford to continue paying its men and running its machines, than the contracts for the extension work will have to passed on and the existence of the quarry itself will hang in the balance. I must go now Flora. I am sorry to leave you on such a grim note."

Flora remained at the station for what felt like a long time after that, mulling his words over. She had known what the answer would be when she had asked the question, but the realisation of what Mavis and Toby had said finally struck her.

Anopha Quarry was in danger of being shut down, and that left her fate, along with Toby's and Mavis', up in the air, and it was likely that the Fat Controller would be leaving them on many more grim notes in the coming weeks.


	4. Rolling Wild

**Rolling Wild**

It was an exciting day on Thomas' Branch Line. Toby waited excitedly at Ffarqhuar Station, with Flora, Rosie, Henrietta, Victoria and Peach all watching from nearby. All of them were excited, except for Henrietta, and Victoria couldn't work out why.

"But I thought Elsie use to work with you on your old line?" The blue coach was saying for what seemed like the hundredth time to Henrietta. "Why wouldn't you be excited to see her again?" Henrietta rolled her eyes and glanced across at her fellow coach, giving her a judgemental look as if Victoria had just said something incredibly stupid.

"Have I not already explained this?" The coach huffed. "Elsie was quite friendly, yes, and I _am_ looking forward to seeing her again, but I just do not see why Toby needs his own special brake van! In fact, I do not see the point of brake vans!"

"You don't see the point in brake vans?" Rosie said with a slight smirk, exchanging gleeful looks with Flora.

"I do not!" Henrietta said importantly. "Us coaches are able to brake on our own if we have to, so why should trucks need a special van? I know you engines have a lot of trouble controlling them, but that is no excuse!"

"But Henrietta –," Victoria began, shocked by what she was wearing, but the others around her all hissed at her to be quiet.

"Let her find out on her own accord," Flora whispered back to her, making sure Henrietta couldn't hear. "If she is going to be so uptight about things, than let her learn the truth on her own!" Victoria was uncertain about this: Henrietta could be annoying at times, but she thought they were friends and wouldn't want Henrietta to keep secrets from her. However, there wasn't any real harm done, and it would be a good lesson for Henrietta to learn when it came about.

"They're coming, they're coming!" Toby called out across the yard, and everyone looked down the line as Percy began to approach, a long line of empty trucks rattling and giggling behind him, finished off with a seemingly simple grey van at the end. "This must be it!" The tram yelled excitedly, and Flora and Rosie joined in him in ringing bells and blowing whistles. Percy wore a bright smile across his face as he pulled in, and even Henrietta managed to look happy about things.

"It's only trucks!" Percy called out jokingly, and they all laughed as he began to slow down, coming to a stop when the van was right alongside Toby. The van was painted a light brown with a grey roof, almost similar to Toby, and she wore a friendly smile.

"Hello Toby," Elsie said. "Long time no see!"

"Hello yourself," Toby laughed. "I see they made you into a guard's van now: I like the windows!" Rosie and Flora let out a cheer, and there was the ringing of bells and a chorus of whistles to celebrate the reunion between tram and van. Toby and Elsie both looked embarrassed by all the attention, but the other engines, coaches and drivers, firemen and other workers were all happy for them. With the state the quarry was in and the uncertainty that hanged over the trams, they all felt that Toby deserved a little joy.

* * *

Mavis was expected back in a few days, having a general tune up while they waited for her brakes to arrive from England, so until then, Toby remained working at the quarry. The Fat Controller had purchased Elsie for use as a guard's van and to hold extra luggage for special trips, but he had allowed Toby and his old van to reunite before an enthusiast train arrived.

Toby and Elsie worked well together, and the other engines were impressed at how the old engine was able to manage the trucks so well. By now, all the engines and coaches knew about Anopha Quarry and its financial issues, and everyone wanted to help in whatever way they could. However, Toby seemed to be handling things fine, managing all the trucks and easily filling all the orders. He even was even staying in Mavis' shed to save extra trips to and the Ffarqhuar Sheds, and even the Fat Controller had made note of his commitment and hard work.

Meanwhile, Henrietta and Victoria were being taken by Rosie to help with the extra tourist trains that had been ordered. Normally the pink engine help with the freight work, but it was all being left up to Percy as extra trains were being ordered due to the multitude of people arriving on the branch line. All of the engines and coaches were being pushed to their limit, barely stopping for more than a few minutes as they rushed from Ffarqhuar to Knapford and back again.

By the end of each day, everyone was tired and nearly fell asleep instantly, no one wishing to talk about anything. They all needed to be ready for a hard day's work the next day, and sleep was more precious during restless summer night's than any other point of the year.

Unfortunately for the coaches, Henrietta always seemed to have something to say.

"I am so annoyed that Toby has left us alone during this busy time!" The coach was huffing two days after Elsie had arrived. "He should be here and help us deal with all these irritating passengers, not fluffing around at that dirty old quarry with foul trucks! It's not like Toby to choose to take trucks over passengers, he's always loved them!"

"Maybe he wants a break," Annie grumbled.

"Engines like a change of pace," Clarabel chimed in with equal hostility, and the two coaches shot a glare towards Victoria. The blue coach sighed: the job to silence Henrietta always fell to her, and though Victoria loved Henrietta and could normally deal with her, she needed her rest as much as the others.

"Toby had no choice in the matter, I've already said this," Victoria explained through a yawn. "Flora is only capable of taking passenger trains and that is where the main work is during this time. Toby has a job to do and that is all there is to it. Besides, once Mavis is fixed, things can get back to normal! Now let's try and get some sleep, alright?"

"I still think Toby is –"

"Henrietta!"

And after that, the coach shed fell silent, though throughout the night Henrietta continued to mutter away in her sleep, and Victoria couldn't help but wonder if something else was bothering her comrade.

* * *

The next day, things were busy once more. Large orders of stone needed to be sent out today, and the Fat Controller had ordered for Thomas and Toby to bring the trains down to Knapford while Percy dealt with the usual orders. This was going to cancel Thomas' trains, causing a reshuffle of the schedule that would result in Daisy, Rosie and Flora taking more passengers, Peach even being brought in to help.

"I don't think I can handle much more of this!" Henrietta complained as Rosie shunted Victoria down onto her. "We are already run off our wheels, and now we are being given more to do? Why not just put seats on my roof and double my width rather than have us rush all around the branch line?"

"I'd like to remind you Henrietta that _I _am the one that is technically doing all the work," Rosie chimed out angrily, though Henrietta didn't notice the tone. She was blissfully unaware of how much her complaining was bothering the others, but the coach as focussed o her own worries at the moment, and her mind easily wandered off to thoughts of Toby and Elsie.

Due to the stressful day, everyone was busy and rushing around trying to get their jobs done. Rosie's crew were busying themselves trying to get her fire ready and roaring, porters were preparing luggage to heave onto the coaches, and workers rushed around in order to couple all the coaches and trucks together.

Unfortunately, when a job is rushed, the quality of the job becomes endangered.

One young worker, only in his early twenties, was rushed off his feet with things to do. After he coupled Rosie's train together, Flora and Peach needed to be coupled and then there were dozens of trucks to do. The young man was rushed off his feet and needed to fit a schedule, and whizzed through his current job as fast as he could. Rosie and Victoria were properly coupled together, but as the man started on Victoria and Henrietta, he could see that Toby was already arriving with some of the trucks.

"Damn," he cursed, knowing his schedule had just gotten a tad busier, and he quickly joined the couplings and brake pipes together. Unfortunately, he rushed off before either were properly attached, leaving Henrietta in danger of coming loose.

Yet no one noticed as Rosie took the two coaches over to the platform, the passengers instantly pouring like water coming from a burst dam, everyone involved unaware of the loose coupling. Henrietta watched in stony silence as Toby set off with his long line of trucks, Elsie smiling at them all at the very end, and when the guard's whistle blew, the brown coach started off another tirade.

"I can only imagine how we will be delayed by these freight trains," she huffed as they set off with a jerk, not noticing Rosie's groan in annoyance, nor how she was further away from Victoria than she should be…

* * *

Henrietta continued to grumble as they made their way down the line: she complained about having too many passengers, she complained that it was too hot, she complained about the fire that had started next to the tracks once long ago, she complained about trucks, busyness and just about anything that came to mind. Rosie was silently fuming, and even Victoria was beginning to get annoyed at the constantly complaining coach coupled behind her.

"Come now Henrietta, it is a beautiful day, you really shouldn't be complaining," Victoria said as Rosie pulled into Elsbridge, which was clear of any sideways lorries covering the tracks.

"I think I have every right to complain!" Henrietta huffed, her buffers bashing against Victoria's, not noticing that the coupling was stretched to its limit. Rosie needed to get water, so their passengers all climbed off in order to watch or to explore the station. The other platforms were crowded as they waited for Flora and Peach to arrive, and everyone knew today was going to be a busy day.

"Did you notice how smoothly we all stopped?" Henrietta chimed once her doors had been slammed shut. "We don't need a silly old brake van in order to come to a smooth halt, do we? We are just able to stop right on our own accord!" No one had corrected Henrietta yet about how brakes worked, and though Rosie desperately wanted to in order for her to be quiet, they had all decided she would find out on her own, and simply silently moved forwards.

Percy's whistle sounded behind them, and Henrietta glanced back around, wondering how far away he was with his train. Due to this, she didn't notice a jerk as her couplings broke loose, pulling her forwards half a metre before she stopped. Henrietta glanced back around and was startled to see Victoria moving away from her, yet she was remaining quite still.

"VICTORIA, ROSIE!" Henrietta shouted in shock, but the two were so sick of her complaining that they simply ignored her, expecting some debate on overcrowded stations. Percy's whistle sounded again, a lot closer this time, and Henrietta glanced back nervously as the sound of his puffing came closer and closer. "SOMEONE, HELP ME!" The coach cried.

By the time the passengers had alerted the stationmaster, it was too late. He rushed onto the station, surrounded by porters, guards and other workers, and watched as Percy pushed his train right into the back of Henrietta. The green engine had been forced to push the train as it would have taken too long to get around in front, and he and his crew were unaware that they now had a coach joining them.

"HELP!" Henrietta shouted as she sped past Rosie and Victoria. The two watched in shock as half of their train disappeared, and Rosie's whistle joined the sounds of guard's whistles echoing after the train.  
"Something's not right," the guard pondered, his brake van at the front of the train, and he glanced around the side. "Oh hell!" He cried, staring at the coach in shock, and quickly grabbed his red flag and applied the brakes in the van. Percy's driver brought the train to a halt. The trucks all banged to a stop, but Henrietta wasn't coupled to the train and kept on rolling.

"HEEEEELP!" She wailed, shutting her eyes and expecting herself to go on a dramatic runaway. However, she came to a gentle stop a few metres away when the energy that had pushed her forwards stopped, leaving Henrietta exposed in the middle of the line, everyone turning towards her.

For something that was always chatting away, Henrietta did not enjoy being the centre of attention.

* * *

For the rest of the day, Henrietta did not talk. She was quickly rescued and coupled properly to Victoria, and spent the rest of the day doing her duties without saying a word. Rosie and Victoria both saw it as a welcome relief, though Victoria was left wondering what had brought the sudden bout of silence on.

The sun was setting when they finally returned to the sheds, Rosie shunting them in and biding them a weary goodnight. Flora and Daisy were still out, and Annie and Clarabel had been whisked away by Thomas to take some important men down to Knapford. The shed always seemed quite creepy whenever it was empty, and now that it was silent, Victoria felt rather unnerved. She glanced across to Henrietta, surprised to see she was still not talking.

"It looks like we can't stop ourselves after all," Victoria said, trying to break the ice. "It is a pity really; I'd love to be able to roll along by myself." She smiled over at Henrietta, wondering if she would react, but the coach merely glanced in the opposite direction, turning down the attempts at conversation. Victoria sighed, and decided that she'd have to jump straight into it. "Henrietta, what has been up with you these past few days? You've been arguing about a lot of things these past few days, and a lot of things seem to relate back to Toby. Do you miss him?" Henrietta slowly glanced back around at her, a sad look in her eyes, and Victoria smiled encouragingly, ready to see what she had to say.

"A bit," Henrietta admitted quietly. "I haven't spent this much time away from him in quite a long time, and it feels strange to have another engine taking me around instead of him. I am just getting worried about this financial problem: if the quarry closes, what's going to happen to you and me? What if we stay but Toby gets sent away? I don't think I could stay here without him…" The coach began to tear up, and Victoria wished that she could somehow comfort her, having worried about the same things herself.

"I don't think they will split us up," Victoria said encouragingly. "Toby will be back when Mavis returns, and we can all work together to make sure the quarry doesn't close! You, me, Toby, Mavis, Flora, Peach, Elsie, all of us!" Henrietta smiled at this, and Victoria herself felt joy to see the smile cross her face.

"I am not really annoyed that Elsie is back," Henrietta admitted, "but she is spending a lot of time with Toby while we are stuck here, and I am being just a tad jealous."

"Just a tad?" Victoria teased, and the two began to laugh. They were still laughing when Annie and Clarabel returned, the twins startled by this, but soon they were joining in with the laughter as well. Victoria was relieved that Henrietta had finally stopped her complaining, and the brown coach went to sleep that night still worried about the fate of Anopha Quarry and the results it may have, but Henrietta was reassured to think that soon they would be back with Toby and they might be able to save the quarry together.


	5. Heritage Delight

**Sorry for the delay, school got in the way of finishing this one off. **

**Heritage Delight**

Never before had one engine's return been met with such levels of both joy and nervous tension.

Toby and Flora were waiting at the quarry, watching as Mavis descended down the hill in the distance and rolled into the quarry in near silence, as many diesels do. She was greeted with silence as well, for the usual cheers and whistles and ringing bells that were used whenever an engine returned did not seem right at this moment, and the sombre greeting was enough to tell Mavis something was wrong.

"Hello," the diesel shunter said, sounding nervous as she came to a stop at the station, surveying the scene before her. Men were busy working behind dealing with stone and trucks, while several long lines had been shunted into the sidings waiting to be taken down to Ffarqhuar. It was a strange sight to see all three engines here not doing anything, but Toby and Flora tried to keep their smiles on their faces.

"Hello Mavis!" Toby said excitedly. "It is wonderful to see your back! You were away for longer than we expected."

"They didn't have the right brakes for me, and they had to call several places before they got the right parts," Mavis explained, her face showing she still wasn't certain about what was going on.

"That's a pity, we missed you," Flora said sympathetically. "I took my first train of trucks while you were gone though, and Toby's old luggage van Elsie was brought by the Fat Controller. Nothing major has happened here asides from the expansion, so you –"

"What is going on here?" Mavis asked, her tone riddled with suspicion. "Why are both of you here, and why do you have your coaches? Thomas said something about enthusiasts being here, but why would they come to the quarry?" Toby and Flora exchanged nervous looks, and their coaches began to whisper behind them, not quite sure what to tell the diesel. Mavis gulped as she glanced between, her mind once again drifting back to the look on the Fat Controller's face when she had left Knapford Station, the same look that she had dwelled over constantly during her extended stay at Crovan's Gate. It seemed Mavis' worst fears about the financial problems had come true, and Toby and Flora were here to deliver the worst news.

"Actually Mavis, we will be having some enthusiasts here in at the end of the week," a voice said to the side, and all eyes turned as the manager of the quarry, Mr Stark, as he stepped out of his office and onto the platform. "Welcome back Mavis, it is a pleasure to see you again. And you arrived back just in time to hear the exciting news."

"There are going to be enthusiasts at the quarry?" Mavis asked.

"Quite right," Mr Stark said with a nod. "You are of course unaware, but the quarry has fallen into a touch of debt as we wait for our work to be completed and our payments to be fully paid. We are struggling to afford our new equipment and to pay our workers, so I was just having a crisis meeting with the Fat Controller, several of our bank managers, the owner, and I invited the drivers out of courtesy to see what they could offer." Mavis glanced over at Toby and Flora, wondering how the situation could have gotten so serious, and she could see the trams still looked shaken even though they must have known how bad things were getting.

"We have reached the decision that a special 'Open Day' will be held as a fundraiser next week," Mr Stark continued. "The enthusiasts will be brought up by Toby and Flora, and then we will show people around the quarry in special open trucks and brake vans, like the China Clay quarry does at times. They have had great success with it, and we shall expect the same."

"That sounds like a nice idea, but the quarry isn't that interesting," Flora pointed out. "I don't think people are going to want to come here." Toby looked shocked at the suggestion and glared at his fellow tram, but Mr Stark only laughed.

"Fair enough Flora," he chuckled. "Don't worry, there will be enough things there to keep people entertained and draw them here. You will be told of your roles later in the week, so listen out for them!" The engines all nodded and smiled, but once he had turned back into the station, their faces all sunk. All three of them looked gloomy, wondering about the outcome of the Open Day and if it would be enough to save their line.

"Welcome back Mavis," Toby mumbled sadly.

"Thanks," Mavis replied quietly, staring around at the dusty, noisy environment that had been her home for longer than she could remember, wondering how long she would be able to stay here.

* * *

"I agree with Flora," Henrietta said aloud several days later as Toby took his Vintage Train down to Knapford. Preparations for the Open Day were in full swing, and the engines had heard that food stalls were being set up in the car park and buskers would be performing inside and around the station. Many tourists were still on the island despite the summer sunshine slowly slipping away, and the enthusiasts had had the trip added to their plan, and there were high hopes that it would be a success, though some never see the bright side in things.

"Agree with her about what?" Toby asked huffily. While Victoria had reacted positively, Henrietta had failed to see the bright side of the plan.

"Who is going to want to hang out in a quarry?" Henrietta replied as if the answer was obvious. "The trucks are always noisy, the machines are noisy, there is always dust in the air, and they would be outside all day during _summer_! I can barely stand being in there for more than five minutes during this weather, imagine how unbearable it will be for a whole day!"

"Be quiet Henrietta, the passengers might hear you!" Victoria scolded. Toby sighed as they passed underneath the bridge leading towards Knapford Harbour, already knowing he needed to stop for water sometime soon to fill his already emptying tanks. The tram didn't want to admit Henrietta was right, but there had been doubts in the back of his mind about this Open Day since it was announced, and he could only wonder just how great of an idea it is.

"I do not mean to complain about it, but I am just worried, that is all," Henrietta replied, a touch of sadness in her voice. "If the Open Day does not work, than how will the quarry and then the tramway stay open? I just do not want to have to go through what happened with our last railway and end up being sent away."

"Don't talk like that!" Victoria gasped. "I am sure the Fat Controller won't get rid of us all if the quarry closes. There is the extension being built as we speak, so he will need engines to do trains there!"

"Why would he keep an old tram and some old coaches we he can trade us in for a flash, high speed engine like Pip and Emma?" Henrietta replied, causing Toby to shiver. The coach was showing a lot more insight than he would have expected, and it was quite uncomfortable hearing these things even though there was some truth in them. "I just want to know that they are not going to try and turn me into a hen house again!"

"A hen house?" Toby said, confused, but the pieces clicked together and he began to laugh. "Ah, that's right! The stationmaster wanted to turn you into a hen house, I completely forgot about that!"

"Well I never have," Henrietta huffed as Victoria began to laugh as well, Knapford Station coming into view.

"I always thought you would have looked good in feathers," Toby joked, and Victoria was unable to control herself and laughed even harder. Henrietta didn't seem impressed, but by the time Toby had pulled up to the platform to wait for James, she was laughing along with them as well.

"No matter what happens Henrietta," Toby called out as he paused for breath, "we will at least have our fond memories of this line and our last. But I can guarantee that we three will never be split up, even if the quarry and the tramway close down and we get sent away. If one of us leaves, we all leave!"

"And if we all get turned into firewood, than we can make a very lovely bonfire," Henrietta added, and the three were unable to stop themselves from laughing as the coaches knew that what Toby had said was right, and they would still have each other even if their line closed.

* * *

It seemed that the days flied by as the Open Day came closer and closer. Maybe this was because all the engines, not just the trams, knew how serious the situation was, and they wanted to enjoy their time together before in case things got worse. But, the more time they wanted to spend with each other, the faster time slipped away from them.

It seemed like the discussion about the Open Day had only been the previous day when Toby slid into Ffarqhuar Station with Henrietta, Victoria and Elsie coupled behind. The coaches had been decorated with streamers and bunting in varying colours to add to the festive feeling, and Toby's bell had been polished to shine like gold and a banner reading "ANOPHA QUARRY" hang from his roof.

The passengers waiting to be taken to the Open Day crowded the platform, and Toby was worried that they might fall over the side there were so many, and he could see more trying to get up. There was always a chance they were waiting for Thomas or Rosie with the normal Sunday trains, but Toby was feeling optimistic that he and Flora were going to have full trains for the whole day.

_This does seem an awful lot like the last day on my old line_, Toby thought as he came to a stop, putting a smile on his face to match the excitement level flowing from the station, though his memory was shooting back many decades: the excited, crowded platform, everyone turning up to farewell him and Toby, the very people who hadn't turned up beforehand in order for the line to stay open. Toby couldn't help but wonder if all these people were here for some last-chance effort to see the engines before the line closed.

_Now don't think that_, Toby told himself. _They want to see the line stay open, just like we all do! Try and stay positive, and this day will just turn out wonderfully! _

"This is all so exciting!" Henrietta cried excitedly behind as her doors were open from the inside and the people on the platform poured in in an un-orderly fashion. "I did not think anyone would want to go to the quarry, but this is an amazing turn out! I can see the quarry surviving on this Toby, we are going to get turned into hen houses just yet!"

"No, I don't think we are," Toby laughed, forcing his negative thoughts out of his mind as he smiled at some excitable children on the platform. By the looks of things, there were going to be many trains heading towards Anopha today, and it was a reassuring site. The tram had seen attractions being delivered by Elizabeth and several other lorries the previous day, and it looked as if the day was going to be as big as promised.

The guard's whistle blew once Henrietta and Victoria were fill to bursting, and some people even made it onto Elsie, and Toby set out with his bell chiming and the passengers all cheering in delight as Flora made her way forwards to take over.

"Today is going to be a good day," Toby called back to his train as they left the yard, the sun shining overhead. "I am not sure just how big it will get, but I think that if it all goes well, we'll be sticking around for a few years yet!" The three all cheered back, and Toby began to move down the tramway feeling happy, wondering if his words were true.

* * *

By the third time Toby arrived at Anopha that day, the quarry was fill of more people than he had ever seen within the rocky walls.

As he pulled up with Henrietta, Victoria and Elsie, the number of people there was instantly visible: smiling tourists and enthusiasts seemed to out number the normal workers by a vast majority as they wandered across the sidings and through the different attractions brought out to draw them down. There were many different food stalls, a variety of buskers spread out and many different performances. Mavis was collecting her truck shuttle passengers out from a platform erected in the sidings, and it seemed that the queue for them was longer than any train Toby had ever pulled.

"This is going brilliantly!" Toby cried, his smile stretching wide across his face. All his worries about the day crept slowly out of his mind as he looked around at all the happy people putting money towards keeping the line open.

"I knew it would go well!" Victoria called out. "Just look at all these people: they've turned up and they're having fun! What have you got to say to that Henrietta?" The blue coach said cheekily, and they all laughed, even Henrietta, once again all unable to help themselves. There was no reason to feel down when the day was going so well, and now that all the trains had finished, Toby could actually stay and enjoy the day, maybe even lend his coaches to Mavis if the day got any hotter.

There was a soft whistle and the tram looked around as Flora pulled up in front of him. Her yellow paint only looked brighter amongst the light coloured rocks and the summer sun that was beaming down upon them, and Toby flashed a smile to match. However, it began to droop when he saw that she did not return his excitement.

"What's wrong?" Toby asked in hushed tones.

"A load of stone was supposed to be taken across to the site of our line's extension," Flora explained quickly. "Mr Stark completely forgot about it as he arranged this, and he needs one of us to take it out straight away." Toby sighed, a mixture of relief and annoyance. It was good that it wasn't a serious issue, but he did want to stay around and enjoy the Open Day.

"Alright, I will take it," Toby said, trying to remain positive as a number of enthusiasts rushed around, the flashes of their cameras hurting his eyes after only a few seconds. "I will just have to shunt these three out of the way then. I am sure Mr … could find some use for them."

"A sun shelter?" Elsie suggested, and they all chuckled again as Toby began to move forwards. The flashes of cameras followed him, and more started up as the crowd left the tracks so he and Flora, reversing backwards, could get through safely.

"It's a good thing we've got our cow catchers and side plates today, isn't it?" Flora mumbled, looking around at all the people crossing the tracks. "It's not very safe with all these people crossing the tracks, is it?"

"I would rather not think about that," Toby replied solemnly, glancing around at everyone and wondering how well organized things were if people were running wild and there were important trains being ignored. But the tram had to ignore these thoughts, wanting to focus on the positive outcomes of the day rather than worry if it would come together nicely or not.

"Hang on a second," Toby's driver said suddenly. "What are those boys doing over there?" He asked. Toby glanced across, but he only briefly saw a group of about four boys climbing onto the stone trucks that waited to be whisked away before Peach obscured his vision. "Oi Mitch, tell those boys to scram!" Toby's driver said angrily. "Is anyone actually minding those children, though they shouldn't have the opportunity to get anywhere near the trucks! Does Stark know what he's doing?"

"I am sure he is doing his best," Toby replied with a slight sigh, he himself annoyed about the bad safety practices, knowing any situation would be enough to ruin the whole day. Flora came to a stop alongside the truck, and her driver, Mitch, leaned out of her cab.

"You boys shouldn't be playing on there, get off!" He growled, drawing the attention of several workers, tourists and others standing around. The boys jumped as if they had just been shocked, and suddenly they were off, leaping off the truck and running away as fast as possible. However, the sleeves on one of their jackets caught on the lock that kept the side of the truck locked into place. The frightened boy yelped and looked at Mitch in fear, almost as if the driver was coming after him, and he fiddled with the lock as he tried to free himself.

"Wait, no!" Flora gasped as she saw what was happening, but it was too late: the boy pulled the lock, freeing his sleeve but unintentionally freeing the rock. Workers cried out, tourists screamed and Mitch swore and leapt backwards as rocks cascaded onto the ground and onto Flora. Toby shut his eyes as a wave of dust swept over him, and Henrietta began to wail in protest, a general sound of confusion and worry beginning to sound up around them.

Before the dust had settled, Toby knew everything was wrong. He could imagine the mothers of the little boys trying to blame the situation on the quarry, and though the trucks should have been monitored better, the blame did not lie fully with the quarry. But the results would spread, and it was likely people would want to leave now. However, Toby had heard another sound over the screams and falling stone: a metallic thud, and he had been around long enough to never trust a metallic thud on a railway.

And his suspicions came true once the dust had settled, apparently all over the poor old tram. Toby glanced over, and he quickly saw the pained expression on Flora's face as the stone from the truck lay piled up to her buffers. Workers were already rushing forward as the crowd retreated, and Toby's crew leapt over to join Mitch and Flora's fireman.

"It's my side plate and cow catcher!" Flora moaned. The workers began moving away the rocks, revealing huge dents in her red metal work. Toby was shocked and felt sorry for Flora, knowing this would mean a trip to the works, but his attention was drawn away by the crowds surrounding them. Many people were gathering around, whispering to each other about the situation. Cameras flashed again to take in the scene, and it was likely a reporter was amongst the crowd to do an article on the Open Day. _What a scoop this will be_¸ Toby thought grumpily. It seemed unfair that they had gone to all this work just for everything to be ruined halfway through the day, Anopha Quarry's future once again becoming uncertain.

"We really didn't need this," Mitch growled. "We were supposed to be taking passengers home in about five minutes! How are we supposed to do that when Flora can't even move?"

"And there are going to be plenty of people leaving after this," Toby's fireman muttered grimly, staring around at all the whispering faces. Toby was starting to get nervous: the day was only going to get worse unless something was done, and the tram knew that actions had to be taken before this one incident ruined the rest of the quarry.

"I will take passengers back down to Ffarqhuar as well as the stone trucks," Toby cried out, making sure both crews were able to hear him. Flora and Peach both gasped, and muttering sounded up behind him.

"Toby, do you think that's wise?" Victoria asked. "Your tanks are only small, and this would be quite a heavy job. Do you think you'd be able to make it there?" Toby knew this was true, but he also knew that something needed to be done to turn the day around. With Flora out of action and Mavis busy with the main attraction of the day, this left everything up to Toby, and the weight of a few trucks and coaches was nothing compared to having the fate of the quarry resting on him.

* * *

Within only a few minutes, Toby had managed to turn around on a loop, and was now heading in the direction of Ffarqhuar Station, his coaches coupled behind and a long line of trucks coupled behind them. It had been heavy work even making it over here, but Toby was ready to leave and nothing was going to stop him, not even the high amounts of dust covering his body.

"Toby, you don't really have to do this," Mr Stark said as passengers, a mixture of disgruntled, curious and just ready to leave, climbed onboard Henrietta and Victoria. "I can put a call in and have the stone delivered once things have calmed down here."

"I am sure you could, but that's not what I want to do," Toby replied. He glanced around at the station, the trucks shunted in the siding, the hills and rocky mountains surrounding them and knew that he had to do this. A bad reputation would only sink the quarry faster, and Toby was old and wise enough to know that combining that with the debt would have things shut down before anyone knew what had happened.

"Well, if you insist, than good luck," Mr Stark said, and turned away to talk to the parents of the misbehaving boys. Toby looked towards the path in front, ready to do whatever it took to save the quarry. His crew were as determined as him and remained silent as they got him ready for the journey ahead, while Henrietta, Victoria and Elsie remained respectfully silent.

A guard's whistle blew, and suddenly they were off.

Toby instantly felt the strain of his train as he moved forwards, gaining speed as he slid out of the quarry. There was the familiar flash of cameras, and Toby noticed some cars were racing away with people ready to take photos of him. _They can chronicle the quarry's downfall, how nice of them, _Toby thought bitterly, but was glad that he had made it out of the quarry. The track ahead was all on flat land, and Toby knew he could cross it easily no matter what the train was, though today there was a different pull from the heavy trains, the couplings all pulled tight as the trucks weighed them down.

"The hill is coming up Toby, are you ready?" His driver called.

"Why not," Toby replied dryly, and his crew laughed. Toby smirked to himself as he eyed the incline ahead of him, wondering how many times he had crossed this hill and if it had ever had been as important as it was now. But he remained relaxed as it came closer and closer, and it seemed all too sudden as he began to move on an angle, his view changing from a dusty hill to the cloudless sky above.

Within seconds, things became difficult. The coaches were barely on the hill when Toby began to struggle, the weight of the trucks causing him to slow down. It was impossible to move up the hill if you were going too slowly, and Toby found his wheels spinning wildly, all of his energy going into something as simple as this.

"Hang in there, you just need more steam," the fireman shouted, and Toby felt his tanks empty slightly as more water moved through him, his firebox heating it up and sending more steam towards his wheels.

"You can do this Toby," Henrietta whispered from behind as they jerked forwards, slowly starting to move once again. "Put it this way: if you get over the other side, you won't have to be a hen house!"

"Being a hen house sounds quite nice at the moment," Toby grunted, going red in the face as he strained with his heavy train. It was reassuring to know things were moving now, but Toby was putting a lot of effort into a relatively simple task and the path ahead didn't look so good.

"Come on Toby, you can do it!" A shout sounded from behind, a voice Toby didn't recognize. As he pondered who it might be, more shouts sounded from behind: cheers of encouragement, everyone shouting about 'You can do it!' or 'Make it over this hill!'

"The passengers are all cheering for you!" Victoria cried in delight. "Come on Toby, let's do it for them!"

"Show these trucks that a hill can't conquer you!" Elsie yelled.

"Show it to the hen houses!" Henrietta boomed in such a dramatic way Toby couldn't tell if she was serious or not, but he let out a laugh anyway that quickly turned into a grunt, pulling hard on the train. He had always wanted the quarry to stay open so he could stay together with his friends: Flora, Mavis, Henrietta, Victoria, Peach and now Elsie. But Toby had never wondered about the passengers and how they might feel if this iconic little tramway with its famous trams shut down. Maybe they hadn't shown up today to farewell them all, but in fact to save them…

"COME ON TOBY!" Toby growled to himself, and he shut his eyes and sent columns of grey smoke shooting up that managed to block the sun for the coaches. His wheels spun madly, and he wondered if there were enough sparks flying to melt through his cow catchers. But suddenly, Toby felt the ground level out, and he opened his eyes to see they had reached the top of the hill. The coaches led the cheers, and Toby smiled with relief as his crew sent his bell clanging so loudly that it echoed across the fields around them, heard all the way from the quarry to Ffarqhuar for everyone to know that Toby had succeeded.

It was with great relief that Toby merely sailed down the hill, his train rattling along behind him, and he managed to make it towards the level crossing. It was only then that his tanks emptied, trying to get up the hill using more water than anticipated. Toby managed to get his train all the way across the crossing, allowing Mr Willis to drive past in his wife's car, before coming to a stop on the other side. Thomas was sent to the rescue, and some passengers got annoyed at the delay, but many of them knew that this was a truly momentous occasion for Toby, a triumph for the old tram and the tramway itself. Toby never usually felt proud of himself, and being covered in dust was never a good time to feel happy, but he couldn't help but feel that he had achieved something when it came to saving the quarry.

He only wondered if it had been enough.

* * *

The next few weeks were painful. The fate of Anopha Quarry had not yet been decided, the results of the Open Day being kept under wraps. Flora was sent away to be repaired, and an empty Crovan's Gate had her back in a week, though her new plates were still grey. But she came back expecting news and got none, only told, as well as Toby and Mavis, to keep working and wait for an announcement. But the three could barely concentrate, always wondering if they were going to stay or go, thinking about Flora's accident and Toby coming to a stop, wondering if something had happened to change things.

It wasn't until the morning exactly two weeks after the Open Day. Drivers and firemen were arriving to get the engines ready, and Toby and Flora were waiting just outside their slots in the sheds. Thomas, Percy and Rosie were chattering excitedly while Daisy had already left to take the early morning train and milk van, but the two trams lay silent, wondering, as always, if they would still be here in a few weeks time.

Suddenly, a horn cut through the early morning air, and everyone looked around as Mavis slid into Ffarqhuar Station, a load of stone behind her. This wasn't an entirely unusual sight as stone was brought down whenever it was ready, but Toby and Flora were stunned to recognise Mr Stark in her cab alongside her driver, and were even more shocked when a familiar stout figure climbed aboard as well.

"Does this mean…?" Flora asked, unable to finish her sentence, but Toby gave a curt nod, watching as Mavis was uncoupled and began to work her way across the tracks towards them. Whether good or bad, their fates were about to be decided.

Mavis pulled up in front of them, her face blank, though there was a slight twinkle in her eye that Toby wasn't sure of. He remained silent as The Fat Controller and Mr Stark walked forwards, both of them holding something under their arms. The tense silence could be cut with a knife, everyone listening in to see what was going to happen.

"Being the owner and controller of what could be considered a heritage railway in some aspects, I generally keep up with the latest news in the world of engine restorations and lines around the world," the Fat Controller explained. "One of my magazines arrived a few nights ago, and I thought I would have more interesting tales about some engine being rebuilt in Wales or a new line opening up in America. Instead, I found a rather interesting front cover." Toby and Flora were both confused, but that turned to a gasp as he unfurled a magazine. It was called BRITISH HERITAGE RAILWAYS, and the front cover consisted of a very dusty tram that was red in the face moving up a hill, brown and blue coaches behind it. The heading said J70 TRAM ON SODOR SAVES OPEN DAY, and Toby was embarrassed at how long it took him to click things together.

"A J70 tram still in service is a rare thing," the Fat Controller said, "and many people would like to see one of the few that still is going stick around. The article talks about the Open Day and the reasons behind it, and this magazine has been sent to enthusiasts all around Great Britain. Donations have already begun pouring in to help with these trams, and I am pleased to say that there is more than enough money to keep Anopha Quarry open until the payments have come in."

"Wait, does this mean... YES!" Flora cried in delight, and her bell joined Toby's, as well as the whistles, horns and general shouts of delight that now spread throughout the yard. The Fat Controller and Mr Stark smiled broadly, though the controller held his hand to silence them all.

"I _did_ say that there was more than enough money coming in," he said, "so I need to find a way to spend it all. Mr Stark and I decided that we will treat Toby to repair works for the rest of the summer season to ensure that he is in top condition."

"Thank you sir," Toby said, unable to stop himself from smiling.

"And, we have decided to do something extra special," Mr Stark added, and he unfurled a piece of paper that was under his arm. Toby and Flora gasped once again as they looked at the sketch before them: it showed a giant sign post with mountains and trees in the background, and the words 'ANOPHA TRAMWAY' spread across in giant letters.

"From this day onwards, the line shall be called the Anopha Tramway, as a special sign to all that only trams can cross this track," Mr Stark said, to more cheers, bells and horns that echoed across the entire yard.

"That's a lovely photo of you Toby," Thomas called out cheekily. "A bit too much dust though, you might want to work on that." Everyone laughed, including Toby, as there was no way any of them could be annoyed at the moment. The quarry, the tramway and the engines themselves were saved, and Toby, Flora and Mavis exchanged wide, beaming smiles that shone brighter than the gleaming summer's sun.

They were all going to stay together, and that was all that really mattered.

**I hope you all enjoyed this railway series book! It wasn't quite as polished as my previous ones I felt, but I hope you all liked the stories despite that. I will do another one in my next holidays most likely, so if you like the sound of one of the ones I have listed in my profile let me know which one you want to see next!**


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